EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders star Harriet Thorpe, who plays Elaine Peacock, has warned of a “manipulative” new character in Walford. Following the recent arrival of Ronni Ancona as Linda Carter’s old school acquaintance Bea Pollard, Elaine and Linda have been letting her stay in the boutique B&B.
Tensions are already beginning to rise between Elaine and newcomer Bea and in today’s episode, Bea does some meddling that ends in disaster.
When Elaine’s ex-husband George asks to meet her for a drink, Bea tries to convince Elaine that it’s because he wants to reconcile and get back together.
At the Vic, George reveals the real reason he wanted to meet up with Elaine, telling her that Nicola is pregnant with his baby.
An embarrassed Elaine spots a nearby Ian and lashes out at him. Furious at Elaine, Ian contacts the local paper, telling them about her dodgy deal and adding fuel to their feud.
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Asked if Elaine would have thought of reconciling with George before Bea’s meddling, Thorpe said: “First of all, Bea is very manipulative, and of course Elaine would never think of it because she never looks back, she keeps moving forward.
“So, I don’t think that it was something that would be a reality for her, especially as she sees the past as the past and he’s involved with other people now.
“Obviously, it’s confusing, and she’s very clear in that she goes to tell him nothing is going to happen between us.”
BBC
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Speaking about why Elaine lashes out at Ian, Thorpe said: “I think that’s the moment of realising that ‘I am enough’ and she doesn’t need to be defined by any of these men.”
She continued: “She doesn’t need to repeat herself, she evolves, and they are just repeating themselves, and so the fact that Ian makes time to make a little jibe, it lights the tape up. That rocket is about to launch for Elaine.”
Elsewhere, Bea searches for a job and her luck changes after she intercepts a shoplifter at the Minute Mart and has the bright idea to apply for a job there.
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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